MUd COLONY....

Dear Adriana Christianson, I would like to start by saying thank you! I started my adventure with clay nearly 6 years ago and in that time I have learnt so much through the many different sharings of so many mud loving makers. I have been very fortunate to have been apart of the mud Colony created by Ceramic artist and maker Adriana Christianson. Adriana you have been a very big inspiration to me, and will continue to be so I'm sure for many more years to come. Thank you for helping us all come together to share the highs and lows of playing with mud, for connecting us and creating lifelong friendships... Here's' To continuing the sharing nature of mud Colony through Face Book and the Mud colony page! Thank you Adriana xxx

Meeting the Beautiful Adriana for the first time... we had a wonderful day at the Markets and a visit to  Adriana's studio at Northcote Pottery and to top it all off a visit to the Melbourne Zoo with my son Trent and Benjamin Adriana's son...

 

 Arrr The carousel ride what a laugh!...

There is nothing like creating new friendships.....
And as my last post for the Mud Colony Blog I would like to share with you my finished glazed pieces from the last couple of weeks...

                         

                 Thank you for your continuing support and interest in my work....

                         

It has been a real pleasure being apart of The Mud Colony, being able to share and learn with you all, so please follow the link and see everyone's last Blog Post for Mud Colony... It doesn't end here though don't forget that Face Book Mud Colony is still there for the continued sharing of the Mud Love.... Check it out and join in and check out my Face Book page.... Thank you everyone :)

Face Book Link ...  https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery

Colour, Shape, Line..... Under glazing plates and platters...

My happy place is when I make and create... It makes me smile and hopefully for everyone that sees it or uses it as well...functional everyday usable art makes my day.... 

This week started with throwing 20 Kg of clay into Plates and platters, small, Medium and Large...

                                   Monday...

                                

                                 Tuesday trimming....

                        

Wednesday and Thursday saw the plates and platters come alive with Line, Shape and Colour....

                 

                 

                        

                        

                           

                       

My week is not over still more decorating to do... But it's time for a catch up with Mud Colony Crew... :) Let's go see what's happening in everyone else's studio with their Mud Loving... Thank you for stopping by and I hope you all have a great week! :) 

FACE BOOK LINK... Annie-Jeans Pottery

Glazing results....

I unloaded my little kiln after my glaze firing the other day and I wanted to show you all the results. I posted photos in my previous blog of platters and tea cups that I had under glazed ... So here are the finished pieces....

                         

                              Above and below a tea cup and tea pot order....

                         

             Below is a four piece tea cup set in the garden setting theme for an order...

                         

                        

Above the black and natural stoneware coloured platter, and below the Mondrian inspired platter....

                       

                        

     Above a white and lavender stencil design jug, below stoneware, black and red highlight jug....

                       

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this weeks pretties. But we don't stop there more to be made and decorated.... Got to love creating and making... I certainly do! 

 So now it's time for a little peek into everyone else's studios and what the have been up to at Mud Colony .. Come join us... And thanks for stopping by... :)

 www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery 

Under glazing and sets....

               

It's Thursday the 19 th September 2013....

This year is flying by just like every other year does, close your eyes and before you know it what was January is now September and Christmas is just around the corner.... And with that more orders are starting to come in and that is calling for sets of things... So I have been busy this week completing orders and starting orders.... Spring with its colour and new blossoms are the inspiration for the first two sets of mugs....

                   

A pair of black and white plates, I love to paint like this. It is exactly how I Doodle in my notepads...

                

Below is a larger platter, Piet Mondrian an artist well before his time is the inspiration behind the design on this one...

                      

This black and white design is hand painted, and I really enjoyed doing this piece...

                      

More platters to decorate and a bowl and a few jugs that I decided I wanted to make... Looking forward to some more painting....

                   

Thanks for visiting... This is apart of Mud Colony Blog. Come and see what everyone has been doing this week in their studio and don't be shy join in and share what you have been doing ...

 Face Book Link...        https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery

My week with clay...

This week I have photographed my work in steps to see the processes that I take to create my work...

Glazing on the left and on the right my little kiln loaded and ready to heat up...    

            

        Below are the results of the glaze firing above... ( these are the

         pieces I also showed you in last weeks blog.)

          

Next project for the week was to reclaim my scraps of clay...I don't have a pug mill #SIGH....

So I am left to reclaim the only way I know how.... with blood sweat and tears ! ( Not really) :)

Left to right-

A bucket of scraps that have soaked until all the clay has softened, this is over a couple 

of weeks with a plastic bag over the top and then a towel to soak the excess 

moisture up... 

The hammer drill then gets a work out with a paint stirring attachment to

Bring all lumps and bumps back together. Then I cover with a towel again and 

leave for a day or two or longer depending on the moisture level before the next step...

     

 Now to start with the bucket of clay, I have fibre cement boards that I use, which

I find helps absorb the moisture out of the clay..

I lay the clay out on the boards and then level it. And leave it to start drying.

Sometimes I lay another sheet of fibre cement board on top this helps to speed

The process a little but really it is something that just takes time...

     

After a day in the sun I divide it up as you can see and start to turn it 

and sandwich it in between boards, and basically just keep rotating them...

I just go by touch and if it seems to be dry enough and not to tacky to

Touch. I begin putting pieces together getting ready for wedging....

      

Wedging again on fibre cement board as it it helps again with the excess moisture.

If it sticks to the board as it can, I just use a palette knife/ paint scrapper to lift and continue

Wedging until I can form a rams head with a smooth surface. Then I splice

With a a cutting wire just to make sure there are no air bubbles... 

     

When I'm happy with its consistency I start to layer it into plastic containers,

Lined with plastic. Laying a piece of plastic in between layers.... I leave it to sit for 

another few days to a week and then wedge again before I get ready to throw

On the wheel with it again... It takes time but is a great feeling knowing that

You are cutting down on waste, and it is lovely to use not as hard as some of the 

Bought bagged clay can be... 

      

Below are some new platters that I also worked on, freshly thrown and just sitting out

Slowly drying. I cover with plastic overnight and then I get ready to trim feet on them...

The vase in the. Background I will. Be incising to make into one of. My candle

Holders...

     

     Below are the steps that I take to trim... Firstly I check the thickness of the base so 

I have an idea of where I want to trim to. Setting the platter on the wheel centred, 

Then I trim the sides and angle in the top edge for the start of the foot, remembering 

The visual I took of the excess to be trimmed before I started. Marking

The bottom surface with the outside foot and the centre footing. I use the width of

My trimming tool as a guide as to how deep I want to set my foot. It allows for approximately

1millimetre glaze layer and maybe 2 millimetre clearance so that I can glaze the bottoms

Of my platters. For my pieces I feel it is the finishing touch... The bottoms are just as 

Important as the inside surface in look and function so that it is supported and doesn't 

Scratch the surface of bench tops.... And it doesn't hurt to look pretty! Lol 

     

      This part has to be done so carefully. Using two hands on the trimming tool and in a

Flowing motion I trim from outside to inside trimming a little at a time so that as not to

Accidentally go through the base. My bases are thrown and generally are taken off the wheel at

About 1.5 to 2 centimetres to allow for trimming of the feet. To thin and it can allow for warpage 

When firing, two thick and it is heavy. 

      

           This is another platter...

      

      Below is showing the trimming complete and just a final sponging with a damp 

          Sponge to compress and fill any slight open pores of the clay...

      

                                And here is the base of one of my platters glazed.....

So that has been my week in the studio, it was very productive and it feels

Great being able to see my work in photos... Makes me see how much work I really

Have done LOL.... I hope you have all had a great creative week, thanks for stopping by...

Mudcolony is open and other clay bloggers are showing what they have been up to

So I'm heading over there to see what everyone's been up too....

Facebook Link -  https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery

Sharing my love for clay and painting....

As I closed my eyes for the last time before I went to sleep the darkness of the inside of my eyelids softly began to brighten as the light of the images in my mind began to wonder exploring the events of  my journey in clay.... it's like a love story. You know that feeling of falling in love and wanting to spend every waking moment with that special someone. Well it's the same for me with my clay and the decorating of each piece. My mind does not stop conjuring up ideas, designs, colour combinations even when I send my self off to sleep... Is it just me or do you feel the same way about your work with clay or any craft for that matter?

My husband works long hours and I have a lot of on-line friends but not a great deal of friends that live close by that I can visit or that they can visit me. Sooo you can imagine my excitement when a friend moved to South Australia with her family and we decided to catch up.... Yippeeee! So anyway I had the chance to share my love of clay and painting with my friend and her children yesterday and we had a lovely time... Below are a couple of photos of what they painted.... 

    This is the set up....

These to gorgeous Gal's... 

Charlotte and her Mummy Amanda...

                                Little Flynn also had a go...

 Oh and Ms Charlotte certainly knows how to multi task with a Tim Tam (Chocolate biscuit) in one hand and a paint brush in the other! LOL... 

              Pendants and tea cup and saucer and a little bowl...

                                      

It was so much fun and I can not wait to glaze and fire their stash of pretties.... :)

I have been working on a few things this week, not particularly with clay itself but with the business side of it. I have finally taken some photos to a printer and I am organising business cards. I'm a wee bit excited to see the result. So fingers crossed for a great outcome! I will post a photo of it when they arrive... :)

Oh I did work on this set, and guess what? They are for me :) .. They are carved beakers and I have graded the under glaze. They will be clear glazed and I can't wait to see them finished... 
                                      
One other thing is in the works but until it is confirmed I will hold that under my hat so as not to Jinx myself ! LOL.... But stay tuned I will fill you in later as soon as I can....

So with my eyes open now and the day in full swing, off I will go to visit my other Mud friends over at Mud Colony.... Come and join us and say hi... Have a great week everyone! :)

Face Book Link : https://www.facebook.com/anniejeanspottery
                               

I'm EXCITED Adriana!! Te he ;) ...

It's Thursday and Mudcolony is open! what have you been up to in your studio this week?  

I have been slowly getting my routine back, my family have all gone home (sniff sniff) :( and I have been painting and throwing and finishing orders... :) my new plate project is coming along and one of my pieces the dragonfly plate I showed you just recently has been glazed and it looks lovely! So I am Excited.... 

This is the Dragonfly plate, I'm very happy with the way it turned out... 

       This is my sons new mug that he requested, the colours are lovely...

    The Red tulips and internal colour in the cups is called Romance Red

It is so vibrant I love it...

    This last tea pot with its cups and saucers is off to its new owner interstate, I hope

    They enjoy using it as much as I did making it ! :) 

Below are last blogs pieces glazed... They turned out lovely.... :)

That's it for me this week. I have beakers drying at the moment and the weather is slowing down that process so I have bought them into the warmth of the house to fasten the process and then the trimming will begin... But while I'm here I'm heading to Mudcolony to see what everyone else has been up to . Click on the link and come and visit too, and if you have a clay blog join in and share with us what you have been up to... :) Have a great week everybody and thank you for dropping by! :) 

Facebook Link :  Annie-Jeans Pottery Facebook